Korean Watercress Bibimbap

Bibimbap is a traditional Korean dish made up of mixed rice and vegetables. adding wilted watercress adds a depth of flavour and a fantastic nutrient hit!

Prep time: 35 minutes Cooking time: 55 minutes Serves: 4

Ingredients

Meat and rice:

  • 200g beef mince (substitute shiitake mushrooms for vegetarian)

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce

  • 1 tbsp sesame oil

  • 1 tsp dark brown soft sugar

  • Half a clove garlic, finely chopped

  • 3 cups short grain rice

Vegetables:

  • 250g watercress

  • 250g bean sprouts

  • 2 red peppers

  • 1 carrot, peeled

  • 1 Courgette

  • 4 eggs

  • Vegetable oil

  • Sea salt

  • 3 spring onions, finely chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • 3 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

  • 3 tbsp sesame oil

Bibimbap sauce

  • 4 tbsp Korean red chili paste (gochujang)

  • 1 tbsp dark brown soft sugar

  • 1 tbsp sesame oil

  • 3 tbsp water

Method

Mix the beef mince with the soy sauce, sesame oil, dark brown sugar and garlic. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes while you prepare the other elements. Cook the rice, following the instructions on the packaging.

Mix the bibimbap sauce ingredients in a bowl, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Cut the carrot, red pepper and courgette into thin matchsticks and put into separate bowls. Add a pinch of salt to the carrot and courgette, mix and leave to stand for ten minutes.

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Rinse the bean sprouts in cold water, then plunge into the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the water using a slotted spoon and run under cold water until completely cool. Bring the pan of water back to the boil, then throw in the watercress and cook for 30 seconds. Drain the watercress and run under cold water until cool.

Squeeze out the excess water from the carrot, courgette, watercress and bean sprouts, still keeping them separate. Add 1/3 of the chopped spring onions and 1/3 of the chopped garlic to the watercress along with 1 tsp of sesame seeds and 1 tbsp sesame oil. Mix thoroughly and repeat with the bean sprouts.

Place a wok or large frying pan on a medium-high heat with 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Fry the carrots for 1-2 minutes, then remove them from the heat and wipe the pan clean with a cloth or kitchen paper. Repeat with the courgette and the red pepper, adding a pinch of salt and the remainder of the garlic when cooking the peppers. Mix the peppers with the remainder of the spring onion, sesame seeds and 1 tbsp sesame oil once they have been removed from the heat.

Wipe the pan again and return to a high heat. Add a further tablespoon of vegetable oil, then add the beef mince to the pan, frying for 3-5 minutes until cooked thoroughly.

Once the beef is cooked, remove from the heat, wipe the pan again and fry the eggs in some vegetable oil. While the eggs are cooking, put the rice in four serving bowls and add the meat and assorted vegetables around the outside. Finish with the fried egg on top and serve with the bibimbap sauce on the side.

To eat, mix everything together in the bowl and enjoy!

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